


The Wicked Day

by Idk_hi_iguess



Series: Merlin Episode AUs [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)-centric, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Canonical Character Death, Episode: s04e03 The Wicked Day, Grief/Mourning, I LOVE HIM OK, Let me love my son, Merlin is a Concerned Boyfriend, This might become longer idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 00:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16505534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idk_hi_iguess/pseuds/Idk_hi_iguess
Summary: A carnival to celebrate Prince Arthur's birthday hides a deadly foe that promises to strike at the heart of Camelot.





	The Wicked Day

Sitting alone in his room, Arthur toyed with the dragon his father craved for him when he was 5 or 6. It had happened in this very room, they were preparing for bed, and he had asked to hear the legend of the Pendragons, his father had only been happy to oblige, Arthur chanting the words of their nobel origins. Bruta and his army that had taken over the realms. He had sworn to his father that once he’d become king, he’d become the greatest king the realms had ever known, his rein becoming the stuff of legend. 

 

_ Oh Arthur, I’m sure you’ll make a great king, but not on so little sleep; time for sleep know, or you’ll be sleeping through the battle. _

 

_ Father? Do you really think I’ll be a great king? _

 

_ I know you’ll be, your Pendragon blood, and… and your mother’s headstrong will, you will become the greatest king Albion has and will ever see. _

 

_ Can Leon and Gwen be my knights? _

 

_ Leon will be, but girls cannot be knights, especially servants. _

 

_ Morgana then? _

 

_ No, Arty _

 

Arthur let another tear pool on his cheeks, remembering the affectionate nickname his father reserved for when they were alone, and when he needed reassuring. He chuckled slightly, realising how he still wished that Gwen were one of his knights. 

 

_ Morgana can be one of my knights then, her and Leon fight well together _

 

_ As you say Arty. But you’ll never be a king if you don’t sleep, so shut those eyes now, and try and get some shut eye. _

 

He ran his sword calloused fingers along the wood, breath stuttering as he tried to suppress the sobs that he knew were inevitable. His father lay on his bed, barely breathing, and in that moment he came to the conclusion that he would do anything it took, even to have the shadow of his father back, it was better than the shell on the bed.

Even if it took his greatest enemy. 

Sorcery was the only thing that would save him now, even if it was ever Uther sought to destroy. 

 

_ Arthur, you shouldn’t be here _

 

_ Father, look! I sewed this for you! _

 

_ Arthur, go back inside _

 

_ Don’t you like it? I can make you another one if you want? _

 

_ Go back inside! _

 

_ Sire? The sorcerer is ready. _

 

_ Father what’s going on? _

 

_ Arthur Pendragon, go back inside right now.  _

 

_ Father! _

 

_ Fine, you can watch if you want, but let this be a lesson to you. _

 

_ Father? Why’s he there. What crime has he committed? _

 

_ It is not for you to know. _

  
  


The next night he was stood outside Camelot, waiting for the Sorcerer to meet him, distrust unfurling in his gut. 

A sound interrupted the silence, and Arthur turned around, startled. “I’d started to think you weren’t coming.”

“I gave you my word, here I am,” 

“Good, we must hurry.” He started off, towards the tunnels. 

“I am led to believe that the King’s palace is that way?”

Arthur scoffed, and continued walking, “I can hardly be seen walking through the main gate with a known sorcerer!” 

“So you are already going back back on you word. You promised that I would no longer have to live in fear,” for the first time Arthur was starting to understand how much his father had wronged sorcerers, forcing them to always live in fear. 

“You’re forgetting that you have yet to heal my father,” He was right, the sorcerer had to earn his trust first, “When you have, I’ll give you all that I promised.” Earn his trust just to be able to live legally? 

He was about to say something, about how he would try to understand how bad it must be to be oppressed like this, when the sorcerer nodded, and walked off. 

  
  


~

 

They hurried through the tunnels as silently as they could, the sorcerer lagging behind slightly. Arthur paused, waiting for him to catch up. He noticed that the man was labouring with his breathing. 

“Is that really as fast as you can walk?” As soon as the words were out of Arthur’s mouth, he regretted them, knowing that the sorcerer would daly even more now. 

“When you are as old as I, we will see how fast you can walk. I need to rest a moment.”

“There’s no time!”

“Then perhaps you should carry me?”

“Fine, if it means we will get there quicker, then yes, I’ll carry you,” The sorcerer hopped onto his back and Arthur noted that he was a lot heavier than he looked. After about 5 steps, he feels a kick in his shins. He stopped, angered, “Did you just kick me?”

“Now who’s wasting time, Yha!” He was being treated like a horse by a sorcerer. 

Sighing, he continued on. 

“Faster! Faster!” 

 

~

 

Merlin revelled in making Arthur doing stuff for him, and it took all he had not to milk it even further. It helped mask some of his fear about the spell he was about to perform. 

He waited behind a pillar as Arthur dismissed the guards, then waited for the coughed that would signal him to come out of his hiding place. 

They walked through the door together, and Merlin went straight to the kings side, who was barely breathing. He took out his instruments and placed hogswart on Uther’s lips. Then he ignited the sage and held it over the King. His started to glow, a familiar sensation rushed through him. 

“Wait!” 

He stopped, looked up at Arthur, who was standing above his Father, tears wet with unshed tears. 

“Is something wrong?” Everything in him was screaming at him to hold Arthur close, and assure him that he knew just what he was going through, but he was forced to stay in character. 

“My father has taught me never to trust magic, and now I am using it to save his life,” 

Tell him the truth! 

“Your own life has been saved by magic more times than you could possibly imagine.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” It ached not to be able to tell him.

“I merely mean to say that magic is all around you. It is woven into the very fabric of the world.”

He looked unsettled, and Merlin wanted to reassure him, “How can I be sure that it’s the right thing to do?”

“I know you have suffered because of magic , as many have. But not all magic, and not all sorcerers are the same, I wish only to show you that magic can be used for used good.I hope one day you’ll see me in a different light.”

He set his jaw, and they traded stares for a second, before Arthur nodded and stepped back. The sage branch began to smoke and Merlin let the magic flow through him, as natural as the path a river takes.  

_ Efencume ætgædre, eala gastas cræftige: gestricie pis lic forod. _

The spell finished, and Merlin stood down. He looked at Arthur, who in turn was looking at Uther, eyes scanning for anything to indicate his life. Anxiety building in Merlin’s chest, he dared not to breath. 

His eyes flutter open, and Arthur is so happy Merlin could sense it. “Father… father?”

Uther managed  a weak smile as they clench hands. 

“Arthur…” They both smiled, Arthur’s so bright it felt glaring, and Merlin smiled at the look on his face. 

There was a moment that seemed suspended in time, when Uther’s smile faded, and in that moment, he began to gasp for air, pain contorting his face. “What’s happening?”

Merlin was lost, his magic stirring inside of him dangerously, “I don’t know,”

Uther was fading fast, and time seemed sped up, as if for all their efforts to preserve, it was speeding on. 

“Do something!” But there was nothing he could do, and he felt more helpless than years of watching people die for him. 

The King jerked a final time before going still, his eyes glassy and lifeless. Merlin felt for a pulse just the way Gaius taught him, but felt nothing. “He’s dead…” He said, reeling. 

Arthur swallowed, and Merin could feel the disbelief rolling off him. 

“No.. He can’t be…” He shook Uther slightly, desperate to get his father to wake and reassure him, “Father… father!”

Giving up, he visibly slumps, staring at Uther. In the snap of a whip, he turned on Merlin, more hurt and angry than Merlin had ever seen him. He was defenceless against Arthur, staring at Uther, horrified. 

“What have you done?”

“This was not supposed to happen,” It was barely a whisper, and Arthur nearly didn’t catch it. 

“You gave me you word, You-- You have killed him! You killed him!” 

“No…”

Arthur drew his sword and advanced on Merlin, “You’ll die for what you’ve done!” 

_ Hleap on bæc!  _

Arthur flew backwards and falls to the floor, without even checking that he was out or not, Merlin fled, taking the reversal potion as soon as he ducks behind a column. 

 

~

 

He runs back up to Uther’s chambers, to where Gwen, Gaius and Arthur are standing over the body. 

The body he’d caused.

Gaius locked eyes with him and then turned to Arthur, “I’m sorry, Arthur… the King is dead.”

Arthur looks towards Merlin, tears streaming down his face, and Merlin looks back, horrified. 

Gaius covers his face with the sheet and Gwen and him depart the room, arms around each other, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone. 

It’s silent, as Arthur continued looking at Merlin. “I am… I am so sorry,” he was struggling to express what he was feeling as Arthur lets more tears escape his eyes. “I… I should’ve… should’ve… I wish that there was something I could have done,” 

“Merlin,” His voice is raw and pitched with sadness, “No one but me is to blame for this.” 

Merlin blanched, he saw this coming, but it didn’t make Arthur’s self-blame any more bearable to experience. “You are not to blame, this isn’t your fault.”

“I’m entirely to blame. My father spent twenty years fighting magic. To think I knew better.I was so arrogant. That arrogance cost my fatehr his life,” Arthur admitting to his arrogance might once have been something Merlin would joke about, but he knew that what Arthur needed right now, was no that. 

“You were only doing what you thought was right. I’m sure that old sorcerer meant no harm. Perhaps the spell went wrong, Uther was dying, maybe nothing could have saved him.”

“We’ll never know. All I know for sure is that I’ve now lost both my parents to magic. It is pure evil,” it felt like a kick to Merlin’s gut, “I’ll never lose sight of that again.” 

They’re silent again for a minute, and there’s a knock at the door. Arthur left, leaving Merlin alone

 

~

 

“It is all my fault. I killed him.”

“You did not kill Uther, Morgana did. Look.” He opened his hand to revel a small chain. “I found it around Uther’s neck. It’s been enchanted, and such an enchantment would reverse the effects of your healing spell. Uther didn’t stand a chance,”

It hits Merlin, and it’s so obvious he wants to hit himself, “Morgana…”

“I believe so.” 

 

~

 

Arthur kisses Uther’s forehead, tears still pouring from under his eyelids. 

 

~

 

“Merlin?” He looked out of the throne room to see Merlin sitting on the floor outside, who turns his head at the sound of his name. “It’s a new day.”

He stood up, tears never leaving Arthur’s. “You’ve been here all night?”

“I didn’t want you to feel as if you were alone,” 

“You’re a loyal friend, Merlin,” He stepped closer, and Merlin embraced him. He buried his head in the crook of his neck, and they stayed like that for a while.  

Pulling apart, Merlin placed a kiss on Arthur’s forehead, and then on his lips.

“You must be hungry,” Arthur murmured into the space between them. 

“Starving.” 

“Me too… come on, you can go get us some breakfast,”  

They head up the spiral staircase, hands entwined, just as their hearts had been for years. 

 

~

 

“Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of Camelot according to their respective laws and customs?” Geoffrey said to Arthur, who kneeled at his feet. 

“I solemnly swear so to do.” His mouth was dry as he recited the vows as ancient as the lands themselves. 

“Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?” 

He swallowed before continuing, “I will.” 

“Then by the sacred laws vested in me, I crown you Arthur, King of Camelot!”

The crown was placed on his head and he stood, turning to his knights and Subjects, and Merlin, at the end of his row, next to Gwen and Gaius, beaming up at him. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> please leave comments, they really keep me going, even if it's just half a sentence! :)


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